Christmas season is in full swing, and many students will be consuming gratuitous amounts of cookies, cakes and pies.

While these desserts are great holiday favorites, consuming gingerbread cookies and fruit cake at the end of every family gathering can get quite tiresome.

For a great alternative to traditional cookies and cake, try baking some homemade flan for your next holiday meal.

This creamy treat is tart-like in consistency but is richer and sweeter in taste.

Caramel Flan

6 eggs

1 (14 ounce) can of condensed milk

1 (12 ounce) can of evaporated milk

1/2 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 ounces (16) caramel squares

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In a mixing bowl add the condensed milk, evaporated milk and six eggs. Whisk or use an electric hand mixer and mix for one minute. Add the half cup of sugar and teaspoon of vanilla. Blend until mixture is smooth and runny. In a small saucepan add one-fourth cup of water. Warm up the water at medium heat. Add the caramel and constantly stir until caramel has melted. Stirring the caramel constantly will prevent it from burning.

Pour caramel into a small cake pan. Swirl the caramel until it covers the bottom of the pan. Pour the batter into the pan and place in a baking dish. Add two inches of hot water to the baking dish.

Bake for 45 minutes. With a toothpick, poke the middle of the flan. If it comes out clear, the flan is done.

Place the cake pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Place a plate over the cake pan and flip. It should come out with no problem but, if you need to, run a knife along the sides of the cake pan to loosen it.

Although flan may seem like a finicky dessert to bake, the ingredients are fairly inexpensive and the dish is quite easy to make and enjoy.

Miguel Lopez can be reached at [email protected] and Miguel Razo can be reached at [email protected]